Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDH) constitute a family of enzymes that play a critical role in detoxification of various cytotoxic xenogenic and biogenic aldehydes. There are at least 19 members/isozymes of the ALDH family, where the various isozymes may exhibit different substrate specificity and/or cellular location relative to other members of the family.
Cytotoxic aldehydes derive from a variety of sources. For example, environmental (external) sources of aldehydes include those that result from ethanol consumption, from consumption of food sources, from ingestion of hazardous materials such as vinyl chloride, pesticides, herbicides, etc., or from inhalation of hazardous materials such as those found in cigarette smoke, industrial pollution, etc. Aldehydes that may be cytotoxic can also be produced biologically (e.g., endogenously), e.g., as a result of oxidative stress such as occurs in ischemia, irradiation, or metabolism or bioconversion of cellular precursors such as neurotransmitters and drugs. Accumulation of cytotoxic levels of aldehydes, and/or defects in the ALDH enzyme, has been implicated in a variety of diseases and conditions, or in increased risk of disease development. The range of implicated diseases includes neurodegenerative diseases, aging, cancer, myocardial infarction, stroke, dermatitis, diabetes, cataracts, and liver diseases.
There is a need in the art for agents that modulate ALDH enzymatic activity.